Fumonisins (B1, B2)

Fusariums (DON, HT-2, T-2, ZON)

Ochratoxin A

Patulin

Other Toxins:

Botulinum Toxin

Cereulide

Domoic Acid

Microcystins (LR, RR, YR)

Staphylococcal Enterotoxins

Toxigenic Bacteria

Bacillus cereus

Clostridium botulinum

Clostridium perfringens

Staphylococcus aureus

Viral Pathogens

Norovirus

Hepatitis A

Hepatitis E

Parasites

Cyclospora cayetanensis

Cryptosporidium spp.

Giardia

Trichinella spiralis

Process Control Testing (PCT)

Current tools in microbiological testing are limited to testing for specific pathogens or indicator organisms. The IEH Process Control Testing (PCT) Program takes a wholly new approach, and aims to measure the degree of “control of the production process” based on the simultaneous detection of the presence or absence of multiple broad groups of microbes at various stages of the processes and in the production environment. The broad groups include spoilage organisms, environmental contaminants and groups that share markers with pathogens of interest.

The end result of a PCT test is an index score, the Process Control Index (PCI). The score is generated by a proprietary algorithm. In general, higher scores indicate more biodiversity, and scores which exceed an established threshold are indicative of an increased risk of microbes being present which share genetic markers with pathogens of interest though the target microbes themselves are not pathogens.

The PCI score is suitable for process control for raw material acceptance/qualification programs, finished product quality evaluation and environmental monitoring programs (sanitation efficacy). IEH provides, at no cost, Statistical Process Control (SPC) charts to facilities using the IEH PCT test, similar to the SPC chart shown here.